Episode 153 · September 10, 2024
Lori Medik: Female Owner of Five Star Painting of Tulsa looking to create environmental change in the painting industry
with Lori Medik, Co-Owner, Five Star Painting of Tulsa
38 min
Lori Medik: Female Owner of Five Star Painting of Tulsa looking to create environmental change in the painting industry
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In this episode
In this episode I sit down with Lori Medik, co-owner of Five Star Painting of Tulsa, and honestly, this conversation was such a treat. Lori and I first met when her team painted the exterior of my home — a project I have loved every single day since (people still stop and ask me about the paint color!). What I didn't know at the time was the cool, entrepreneurial background Lori was carrying with her. So we pull that thread.
Lori shares how entrepreneurship is in her blood — her dad came to the U.S. from Amsterdam as a mason who spoke no English and pedaled around on a bicycle finding work. She talks about her clothing boutique in Albuquerque that became a community gathering place, her degree in environmental science and sustainability, and how she and her husband Trevor launched Five Star Painting on March 1, 2020 — yes, right as the world shut down — only for that timing to become their launching board.
We also dig into something close to her heart: the waste that comes with painting, and her vision to create a convenient, responsible way for people to dispose of paint and paint-related hazardous waste. We talk about building community, hiring people you'd trust in your own home, working as a woman in a male-dominated industry, and her word of the year ("more in '24"). I love that Lori is using her God-given gifts to do good work and care for our world while she's at it. Keep going, Lori — I'm cheering you on.
Key takeaways
- Entrepreneurship often runs in the family — Lori traces her drive back to her father, who came to the U.S. from Amsterdam as a mason with no English and built work from the ground up.
- Timing you fear can become your launching board. Five Star Painting opened March 1, 2020, and the very disruption Lori expected to hurt them turned into a wave of referrals and repeat business.
- Build your own community. From a boutique that became a gathering place to becoming the 'hub' of her Tulsa neighborhood, Lori intentionally creates connection wherever she lands.
- Doing the right thing should be made easy. Lori wants to create a convenient system for disposing of paint and paint-related hazardous waste, so honoring the planet isn't the harder choice.
- Hire for the work people actually love. Instead of accepting 'I paint everything,' Lori keeps probing what someone enjoys painting — it reveals their attention to detail and where they truly fit.
- Prep is its own skill. Great preppers are as valuable as great painters, and matching people to their strengths makes the whole crew better.
- Trust is the foundation of client work. Going into someone's home is a privilege — over-communicating and protecting that trust is what sets the work apart.
- Even thriving entrepreneurs need to 'put the sparkler in the bucket of water.' Lori is learning to shut it off and replenish — for her, that looks like making paper.
Chapters
- 00:00Welcome + live podcast event update
- 02:30Meet Lori Medik and how we connected
- 05:00Lori's entrepreneurial roots and her boutique in Albuquerque
- 08:30From Albuquerque to Tulsa — launching Five Star Painting in March 2020
- 13:00Word-of-mouth, referrals, and repeat business
- 15:00Her environmental science degree and a vision for paint waste disposal
- 19:00What she loves (and what's hard) about entrepreneurship
- 23:00Being a woman in a male-dominated industry
- 26:00Trust, clients, and turning customers into friends
- 29:00How she hires and retains great painting crews
- 33:00What Five Star Painting offers and what sets them apart
- 37:00Grow More in 2024: her word of the year and making time to replenish
- 41:00How to reach Five Star Painting of Tulsa
“For me, entrepreneurship is just so many facets of learning.”
“I feel like I'm a sparkler, and I'm trying to figure out which way I'm going to focus sometimes.”
“There has to be the trust — coming into someone's home is a blessing and a privilege.”
“My word for '24 is more. So it's more in '24.”
Resources mentioned
- WebsiteFive Star Painting of Tulsa
About Lori
Co-Owner, Five Star Painting of Tulsa
Lori Medik is the co-owner of Five Star Painting of Tulsa, which she runs with her husband, Trevor — he handles estimating, and she leads production. An entrepreneur at heart with a background that includes a community-centered clothing boutique in Albuquerque and a degree in environmental science and sustainability, Lori is known for her attention to detail, strong work ethic, and trustworthy client relationships. She's now working toward creating a more responsible, convenient way to dispose of paint and paint-related waste.
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